


All Female Bounty Hunting Team (to start)

by Jestana



Series: SWTOR fics [12]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Gen, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-30
Updated: 2015-09-10
Packaged: 2018-04-01 22:48:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 8,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4037500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She always was good at hunting. She didn't expect to make a living out of it, but might as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Leaving Hutta

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, not as many character stories this time. Not as inspired, though I still come up with backstories of some kind. As before, these are just snippets I've written based on what I experience in the game on my second bounty hunter. As such, there'll be spoilers for bits and bobs of the storyline as I encounter them. As a commenter described it: this is the highlight reel.
> 
> **Edit:** I was going to keep this secret, but I decided to say this upfront: Ismanae is MtF trans. She's already transitioned and tells people she's trans when she feels she can trust them. I'm trying to write her story in a way that her being trans doesn't affect it except incidentally. I want to show that trans people are PEOPLE, with their histories and actions affected by it, but not DEFINED by it. If anyone who is trans has issues, please contact me and let me know. I want to be respectful of actual trans people and their experiences.

"Wow!" Mako couldn't help staring when Ismanae emerged from the refresher in a tank top and shorts, towel-drying her hair.

The bounty hunter raised an eyebrow at Mako. "What's wow?"

"Your tattoos," the slicer explained with a sheepish smile. "I didn't realize you had more than the one on your face."

Smiling, she sat down beside Mako and stretched out her right leg. "Go ahead and look closer if you like."

"Thanks." She leaned forward to do that, carefully examining the tattoo. Like the one on Ismanae's face, it consisted of thorny vines that twisted and turned on themselves. It also served to emphasize the fact that she had scars on her leg to match the one on her face. "These must have taken ages to do."

She shrugged as she finished towel-drying her hair, and then extended her right arm as well. "A few long sessions spread out over months to give my skin a chance to heal in between sessions."

"Bet they cost a fortune, too." The arm tattoo matched the other two and also emphasized the scars on her arm.

Her new friend grinned. "Nah. I know a guy. He gave me a discount."

"That's lucky." Mako sat up, already checking some information on the HoloNet.

Standing up, Ismanae crossed the room to her bunk and retrieved a brush and comb from her bag. "I guess."

"You got all of them at the same time, didn't you?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

The bounty hunter turned to her, still working the brush through her hair. "Yeah, I did."

"Why did you get them?" The moment the words escaped, she clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me. We barely know each other."

Laughing softly, she shook her head. "It's all right. We're going to be working together a while. I might as well tell you. I was in an accident when I was a teenager. Thirteen or fourteen, I think. Anyway, I was burned pretty badly. The doctors focused on repairing the internal damage, which meant I was left with scars on my face, arm, and leg." She finished brushing her hair and began braiding it. "At first, I hated them. They were so ugly. I had a lot of other issues at the time, so Mom insisted I see a shrink. When I finally did, she helped me see that my scars weren't ugly. They were badges of honor. They meant that I was a survivor. So, I got the tattoos not to hide them, but emphasize them, to let everyone know that I'm not easy to kill."

"They look great," Mako told her earnestly as she secured the end of her braid. "I mean it."

Ismanae offered a smile that was almost shy. "Most people are too intimidated to approach me."

"I believe it." She wasn't going to lie. "You're one of the tallest women I've met and the scars and tattoos just add to the imposing image."

The bounty hunter laughed. "Well, I wasn't going for intimidating, but it keeps men from getting too handsy with me. For the most part."

"And the men who do?" Mako couldn't deny her curiosity.

Ismanae brandished a clenched fist. "A punch to the jaw usually takes care of them. Pretty boys get a punch to the nose."

"I like your style."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."


	2. Dromund Kaas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ismanae's used to not being considered beautiful or desirable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Admittedly, I kind of zipped through the bounty hunter storyline on Ismanae because I leveled her during the first round of 12x xp. Then I rolled another female bounty hunter and finishing up DK on her got me to thinking about how a certain line would be received by Ismanae. So that's what prompted this story.
> 
> In case you missed it on the previous chapter, Ismanae is MtF trans and I'm trying to show that it affects her backstory, but not her story in general. If that makes any sense.

"Are you okay?" Mako asked as they walked along the catwalk from Imperial Intelligence to the Mandalorian Enclave. "You seem distracted."

Ismanae shrugged, her armor clinking a little with the move. "Just-- That thing Medle said before we left--"

"How you're everything a woman should be?" she repeated his words. The taller woman nodded. "What about it?"

She tugged her braid over her shoulder and played with the end. "It's weird that he would say that. Most men would want a woman who's small, delicate, cute, and empty-headed."

"Those men are idiots." Mako rolled her eyes. "And not worth your time. Just wait. You'll meet a man like Medle, who'll like you for being a big, tough bounty hunter."

Ismanae stopped and turned to look at her. "What if I said I wasn't looking for a man?"

"Then you'd be looking for a woman?" The question didn't even faze her. She'd seen all sorts in her time on Nar Shaddaa and Hutta. "That's fine with me."

Snorting, the hunter turned and continued on. "Honestly? I'm not in the market at the moment. Still, what he said got to me. I don't hear that sort of thing a lot. It was... nice."

"Good to know you weren't _really_ interested in that admiral's secretary." She grinned, remembering how flustered he'd gotten.

Ismanae waved a hand dismissively. "He's definitely _not_ my type. If I were looking, I'd want someone who could give me a good fight."

"We'll meet a lot of hunters doing these jobs," Mako reminded her. "We just might run into a man like that. Or a woman if that's what you want. Or neither."

They reached the enclave and Ismanae stopped to look up at the stormy sky. "Honestly? I have no idea what I want."

"Let's focus on hunting for now."

"Sounds good to me."


	3. Balmorra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Officially in the Great Hunt now, Ismanae and Mako set off for Balmorra to take out their first target.

"What's a little girl like you doing here all alone?" Mako fought to maintain her relaxed demeanor, even as she looked up to see three men standing by her table.

She lifted a hand in a half-hearted wave. "Hey, fellas. I'm not here alone. Just waiting for a friend to join me."

"Maybe we should keep you company until then." One of the men crowded into the booth with her, while the other two leered.

She shook her head, pushing ineffectually at his chest. Not for the first time, she wished she was bigger, like Ismanae. "No, I'm fine. I can take care of myself."

"Aw, c'mon, girlie." He leaned close enough that she could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Don't be like that."

Mako turned her face away, grimacing. "Really, guys, this isn't necessary."

"You heard the lady, fellas. Back off." Ismanae's voice was music to her ears.

The guy crowding Mako only twisted around in his seat. "Who's gonna make us? You?"

"Absolutely." Peering around him, she saw her friend standing with her arms folded across her chest. The shirt and vest she'd changed into had left her arms bare, her trousers tucked into boots and her blaster prominent on her left hip. "Now leave her alone or I'll _make_ you."

Before any of them could respond, Mako twisted around and jammed her fist into the guy's crotch. He stiffened and fell out of the booth, clutching his nuts. "No, _I'll_ make them leave me alone."

"You heard her." Ismanae winked at Mako before turning a stern glare on the other two. "Scram or you'll end up like your buddy here. Or worse."

Helping him to his feet, they scurried from the cantina. Mako smiled and hugged Ismanae. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem. Should've known someone would consider you an easy target." Slinging an arm around Mako's shoulders, Ismanae led her over to another booth.

Wrapping her arm around Ismanae's waist, she gave it an affectionate squeeze. "C'mon, you _really_ think Braden and Jory wouldn't teach me a thing or two about handling sleazeballs like those guys?"

"I stand corrected." She let Mako slide into the booth first, and then slid in after her. "I'm glad they did. That could have been a lot messier."

She nodded, reassured by Ismanae's warm presence at her side. "I know. Thanks for coming to my 'rescue' anyway."

"What kind of partner would I be if I didn't look out for you?" The bartender brought over a couple drinks just then.

They clinked glasses and downed them. Mako wasn't sure what all was in store for them with this Lieutenant Major Pirrell, but he was their only connection to their target and they had a contract with him now.


	4. After Nar Shaddaa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako's curious about Ismanae, but respects her privacy.

"Why are you doing this?" Mako smiled sheepishly when Ismanae looked at her in surprise. They were on their way to Tatooine and this was something that she'd been wondering for weeks. "I mean, I know why _I'm_ doing this: for Braden, Jory, and--" her breath hitched "--Anuli. What about you? What made you decide to take Braden up on his offer?"

Her friend was silent for several long moments, looking out at the swirl of hyperspace. Finally, she replied, "Partly, it's for the money, but I'm also doing it for my mom."

"Your mom? Is she a bounty hunter, too?" Mako perked up. Ismanae rarely talked about her past.

Shaking her head with a laugh, the hunter told her, "Nope. The only thing she's ever hunted in her life was a good bargain."

"And she's okay with you hunting?" This wasn't what she'd expected when she asked.

A shrug of the broad shoulders. "I needed an operation and it cost more money than we could afford. All I knew was hunting, so I started doing that to save money for it."

"What kind of operation was it?" Mako began doing searches on the HoloNet even as she waited for an answer.

Ismanae's open expression shut down then and she looked away. "It's personal."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." She immediately stopped her search, reaching out to squeeze the hunter's hand.

She managed a small smile. "It's okay. You didn't know. Anyway, hunting didn't pay well at first because I didn't have a reputation. I slowly built one up and eventually saved enough money. By then, I was established as a hunter, so I just kept doing it."

"Right." Mako squeezed Ismanae's hand again. "You didn't _have_ to take Braden's offer and try to get into the Great Hunt, though."

A shrug. "I was between jobs and I figured it couldn't hurt." She grinned and winked. "Besides, I like a challenge."

"Well, we've made it through the first two rounds with flying colors. Let's do the same for these next two, too."

"You bet."


	5. After Tatooine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Gault

Gault wandered into the galley as the ship sped through hyperspace to Alderaan. His new boss sat at the table, clad in a pair of shorts and a tank top, revealing a tanned and toned body. He let out a low whistle, "Nice!"

"Put your eyes back in your head." Ismanae growled, picking up her glass of ice water and pressing it to her forehead. "Or I'll put them back in myself."

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Got it. No drooling over your gorgeousness."

"That's enough!" She picked up a knife sitting on the table and threw it in his direction.

The Devaronian dodged and it hit the cabinet behind him with a clang. "Uh, right."

"Everything okay in here?" Mako, the slicer, poked her head in the door.

He stooped and picked up the knife, setting it on the counter. "Um, yeah, everything's fine."

"Just dandy." Ismanae turned back to the datapad she'd been reading.

Gault took the hint and left the galley. Mako moved further into the room and he stopped close enough to listen. "You were shouting at him."

"He whistled at me." The words came out as almost a growl.

Mako hummed and he could hear her moving around the galley. "Yeah, okay, yelling at him was appropriate in this case."

"Part of me was flattered." He barely heard that confession. "It meant he liked what he saw."

He nodded, glad she understood. Then Mako interrupted his self-congratulation. "Well, yeah, but there are better ways to show his appreciation for you than _whistling_ at you." A clink. "And you need a better way of showing your displeasure than throwing knives around."

"At least knives don't run the risk of punching a hole in hull." Ismanae gave a soft snort of laughter.

Mako laughed softly along with her. "I guess, but he's supposed to be helping us. He can't do that if you stick a knife in him."

"Fine, I'll try not to kill him."

"Good."

The scrape of chair legs on durasteel warned him that one of the women was getting up, so Gault hurried on to his quarters. _No whistling, got it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He caught me by surprise with this, not that I blame him. He's a sneaky bastard.


	6. Alderaan and After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ismanae is distinctly unimpressed by the grandeur of Alderaan.

Mako fell into step with Ismanae as they headed back to their speeders. "How're your knuckles?"

"They're fine. My gloves protected them." Even as she spoke, the bounty hunter unconsciously rubbed at her knuckles.

She snorted disbelievingly once they reached the speeders. "Yeah, right. That's why you're rubbing them right now."

"It's not life or death, Mako." She stopped and turned to the slicer once they reached their speeders. "I'll live."

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed Ismanae's left hand and pulled the glove off before she could protest. The knuckles were bruised, but it didn't look like the skin was split. "This is your blaster hand. It'll be easier for you to shoot if your knuckles aren't sore."

"Yeah, I didn't think of that when I punched him." She sounded sheepish as Mako dug the tub of kolto gel out of her kit. "I just wanted to smash his face in."

Mako rolled her eyes even as she carefully spread the gel on Ismanae's bruised knuckles. "I totally understand. With that attitude of his, I'd be surprised if he has any friends at all."

"If he does, they probably have the same sense of entitlement that outweighs their sense of self-preservation." The hunter laughed softly, her hand relaxing in Mako's grip as the kolto worked.

She looked up in surprised pleasure. When the other woman hadn't responded to her remark before, she thought she hadn't heard. "Probably. They must be _so_ much fun at parties."

"We'll never know, because we'd never be invited to _their_ parties." Ismanae tucked her glove into her belt and climbed onto her speeder.

Returning the kolto gel to her kit, Mako climbed onto her speeder as well. "Somehow, that doesn't bother me at all."

"Didn't think it would." The hunter sat for a moment, flexing her hand.

The slicer took the moment to look around and admire the beauty around her. _I hope we can come back someday when there_ isn't _a war._

* * *

"Those Gerards had some lovely finery just collecting dust," Gault informed Ismanae after they'd left Alderaan. He showed her the jewels he'd lifted while she and Mako were running around chasing the Durasteel Duke. "I thought we could make sure these get put to better use."

For some reason, the bounty hunter didn't look that impressed. "You're giving me something worth money?"

"Gesture of good faith and all that." This wasn't going the way he'd hoped it would. "Figured if I'm stuck here, might as well lighten the mood." _So much for Plan A._ "Unless we find a collector, we'll need to fence these. Quick turnaround'll forfeit a big cut, but it'll be a nice bonus."

Ismanae waved her hand dismissively. "Do whatever you like with them. It's your area of expertise, not mine."

"Yeah, all right." He nodded as she walked away towards her quarters.

He quickly closed his hands around the jewels when he saw Mako walking towards him. "Hey, Gault. Do I _want_ to know what you did with your time on Alderaan?"

"I don't know, do you?" He crossed to his bunk and slipped the jewels back into the bag he'd hid them in.

Apparently, she didn't pick up on the fact that he didn't want to talk. "Are those jewels?"

"Maybe." He shook the bag, making sure they were all safely inside.

When he turned to her, the slicer had her arms folded across her chest and a smirk on her face. "You _like_ Ismanae, don't you?"

"No! Of course not! Whatever gave you that idea?" He waved his hands almost frantically. "She'd smash my face in if I--"

Mako laughed. "I won't say anything to her. I will tell you this, though. She's a _bounty hunter_. She doesn't like gems and gold and stuff like that."

"I kind of picked up on that already," he muttered, and then glared at her. "Not that it matters."

She winked at him. "Right. Then you don't want to know that she'd rather have a good blaster at her side or something to help with her hunting."

"Really?" Gault perked up, and then glowered when Mako grinned. "Go away."

Laughing, she trotted off. He slumped onto his bunk. _Good blaster? Hmmm._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conversation with Gault references an actual conversation with him in-game (no surprise, right?).


	7. Visiting Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ismanae visits her mom after winning the Great Hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: there's subtle transphobia in this chapter.

"Ismanae!" The newly-declared champion of the Great Hunt looked up from talking with Mako and grinned, delighted.

Handing her bag to the slicer, she hurried through the spaceport to greet the petite older woman waving frantically at her, hugging her tight enough to lift her off the ground. "Mom! I told you not to bother meeting us here!"

"My baby is the Champion of the Great Hunt, of _course_ I'd meet you here." Coralie returned the hug just as tightly.

Rolling her eyes as she set her mother down, Ismanae retorted with fond exasperation. "I haven't been your baby since I was three, Mom."

"You'll _always_ be my baby, Ismanae." She looked curiously at Mako and Gault, who'd finally reached them. "And who are your friends?"

She accepted her bag from Mako, slinging it over her shoulder. "These are my crew, Mom, Mako and Gault. I wouldn't have won the Great Hunt without their help."

"A pleasure to meet you both." Coralie extended her hand and they each shook it in turn. "My name's Coralie, since my daughter didn't see fit to share it."

Ismanae rolled her eyes again. "Mo-om."

"A pleasure to meet you, Coralie." Mako looked curiously between the two of them and Ismanae knew she was wondering how she could possibly be her mother, since Coralie wasn't much bigger than Mako and had different coloring. "It's been wonderful to work with your daughter."

Gault bowed over Coralie's hand, kissing the back. "Wonderful to meet you, Ms. Coralie. I can see now where Ismanae gets her good looks."

"Right, because I resemble my mother so much." Ismanae snorted disbelievingly. "Are you staying in town, Mom, or--"

She stiffened when a familiar drawling voice interrupted her question. "Oh, look, the freak has returned. Decided to _grace_ us with your presence, Jermaine?"

"Tyrone, so help me, I will--" Coralie started, turning to glare at the young man who'd spoken.

Ismanae rested a hand on her mother's shoulder. "Mom, stop."

"Yeah, Jer, don't hide behind mommy's skirts." Tyrone sneered as she turned to face him herself. "Fight your own battles."

She strode forward until she towered over him, glaring. "You _really_ want to pick a fight with the Champion of the Great Hunt, Tyrone? I learned a lot of new and interesting ways to kill people."

"You won't kill me unless you can get a few credits for it." His attempt at bravado was shaky at best. "Otherwise, you'll get thrown in jail for murder."

Ismanae flicked her wrist and a vibroblade slid out of her gauntlet and into her hand. She pressed it against his throat enough to make a point. "Only if I get caught. I learned a few tricks so I won't. So don't push your luck. Am I clear?"

"As crystal, Jermaine." He sneered, but she could see the real fear in his brown eyes.

After a moment, she lowered her hand and slid the vibroblade back into her gauntlet. "Good." She turned back to the others and said, "Let's go."

"Sure thing." Mako smiled and slipped her arm through Ismanae's. As the four of them headed out of the spaceport, she asked, "So, why did he call you Jermaine?"

 _Well, slag._ Clearing her throat, she only said, "I'll explain when we get to Mom's house."

"I'll hold you to that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is when Ismanae tells Mako and Gault that she's trans. I didn't write it because I wasn't sure how such a discussion would go. Plus, that wasn't the point of the scene. The point was to show that there's still people out there who are asshole bigots and Tyrone is one Ismanae's been dealing with since they were kids.


	8. Taris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Torian gets closure with his dad.

"I have one last request, hunter. I want a moment to speak with my--my son." Jicoln's request surprised Mako at first, but it made sense when she thought about it.

Ismanae didn't answer right away, her blaster never wavering as she looked from father to son and back again. Finally, she nodded, holstering her weapon. "Sure. We won't be far away. Come on, Mako."

"Right with you." She caught up to Ismanae's long strides, and then steered her over to sit down on a stump. "How are you holding up?"

The other woman flexed her left arm with a grimace. "My arm is killing me."

"Let me take a look." Mako helped her remove her gauntlet and bracer, carefully pushing her cortosis weave up. As she'd expected, the kolto pad she'd put over the wound was bone-dry. Removing it, she checked the wound underneath. It still looked red and angry. "Huh, it's not healing the way it should."

Ismanae gave a one-shouldered shrug, her jaw set. "Kind of hard not to use it when it's my blaster hand, you know."

Sighing, Mako dabbed a liberal amount of kolto on the wound, and then put a fresh pad over it. "I know. At least we're almost done here, and then you can give it a rest until we go after our next target."

"Mmm." At her friend's non-committal answer, she looked up to see her staring over her head.

Twisting around, she followed the blue-gray gaze to the two Mandalorians, who were talking in quiet voices. "You all right?"

"Just-- Nothing." Ismanae shook her head and managed a small smile. "I think they're almost done talking."

Nodding, she carefully rolled the sleeve down over the kolto pad, and then handed Ismanae's gauntlet and bracer to her. "We're all set."

"So are they." Putting them back on, Ismanae led Mako back to the two males.

Jicoln turned at their approach, addressing the bounty hunter. "Take my head to "Mandalore" if you're gonna. I'm tired."

"This is up to you, Torian." Ismanae turned to him, her voice gentle. "You have the biggest stake in all of this."

Torian's voice sounded rough as he pulled his blaster and pointed it at Jicoln. "I'm sorry." Neither he nor Ismanae seemed surprised by his choice. Mako didn't know what he said in Mando'a, but it seemed to get to Torian. "I'll do our name proud."

Then he shot his father, point-blank. Mako turned away, tears in her eyes. She couldn't imagine the kind of strength it must have taken to do that, to shoot his own father. Ismanae's voice was gentle when she asked, "You all right, kid?"

"That... wasn't what I expected," he admitted, his voice still rough.

As Mako turned back to them, wiping her eyes, Ismanae told him. "Sometimes it isn't."

"If you don't mind, I want to be alone." He didn't look at either of them.

She just nodded, taking a moment to squeeze his arm. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"Thanks." He turned and disappeared into the bushes.

Ismanae turned to Mako, tears glittering in her eyes. Without a word, she hugged her friend. _At least_ one _of us got closure._


	9. Quesh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is this about honor? Or revenge?

Torian ran his fingers through his damp hair as he settled on the bench outside the shower cubicles. "Something tells me that Jedi won't stop trying to arrest you."

"I figured that much already," Ismanae retorted dryly, pitching her voice to be heard over the sound of running water. "Blasted Republic and their 'moral' principles."

He shrugged as her water shut off and the drain sucked up the excess. "They have their honor code, same as we do. It's just different."

"This isn't about honor." She sounded annoyed and he could _just_ catch the soft sounds that meant she was drying off. "It's about revenge."

Raising his eyebrows, he kept his mind off the fact that she getting dressed a mere meter or two away by asking, "You sure? Jedi don't do revenge."

" _Some_ Jedi do." She cursed in a language he didn't recognize. "I have a feeling he's one of them."

He looked up when she pushed aside the curtain to her shower cubicle and his breath caught in his throat. The tunic and pants clung to her tall, muscular frame, the white material seeming to glow against her tanned skin. Pushing that reaction away, he instead said, "Gut instinct?"

"It's saved me in the past." She touched her fingers to her cheek briefly, and then reached up to unwrap the towel from around her hair.

As she towel-dried her long, auburn hair, he pondered that one. "Many times?"

"Yeah, and not just while I'm hunting, either." Her expression shut down as she combed her fingers through her hair.

Realizing that she wouldn't welcome further questions on that point, he instead chose another tack. "What's the story with Gault?"

"Can't tell you here." She glanced around, a smile twitching at her lips. "Or maybe you should ask him. He can sure spin a yarn."

Torian shook his head. "Don't want a yarn. Want the truth."

"I'll tell you when we're back on the ship and I'm sure no one else will hear us." She grinned, and then looked up when someone approached them.

Turning, he only relaxed when he saw it was the ensign who'd told them that they needed to shower before they could return to their ship. Accepting their gear, he turned back to Ismanae. "I'll hold you to that promise."

"I never doubted that."


	10. Hoth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The smelting plant gets to Ismanae in a unique way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a PTSD attack for one of the characters in the first half of the chapter. I tried to convey it in a believable way. I hope I did it justice.

The moment they emerged from the stifling heat of the smelting plant, Ismanae stumbled to her knees in the snow. Torian knelt beside her. "What's wrong?"

"Can't... breathe." She fumbled with her helmet and dropped it to the ground, her face pale. "Too... hot."

She clawed at her face with her gloved fingers. He gently caught her arm. "It's all right. The heat's gone."

"Going to die. Burned... alive." She rocked back and forth, blue-gray eyes wide and unseeing. "His... fault. Make him... pay."

A little hesitantly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "He _did_ pay. He's dead."

"Tremaine is dead?" Blinking, she finally looked at him, her expression a curious mixture of hope and sadness.

Torian shook his head. "No, not Tremaine. Gradak Ungan. Remember?"

"Right, we were killing him to get to Vause." She pressed her hand to her forehead, and then frowned when a gust of wind blew particles of snow into her eyes. "Where's my helmet?"

He handed it to her as they got to their feet. "Right here. You took it off."

"Why--" Her holocommunicator went off then and she handed her helmet back to him so she could answer it. "Blizz?"

Torian shifted to block most of the wind as Ismanae talked with the Jawa, making plans to take out Vause. When they finished, he handed her helmet back to her. "You all right?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She coiled her braid into the helmet and slid it on in a single fluid motion.

As they started wading through the snow to head back to the Imperial base, he shrugged. "You panicked back there."

"No, I didn't." He could just imagine that she had her jaw set under her helmet.

He nodded. "You did, and there's no shame in that. You didn't panic until the danger was past and it was just us."

"I was caught in a fire as a teenager. That's how I got the scars on my face, arm, and leg." Her voice was clipped, flat, devoid of any emotion. She waved in the direction of the smelting plant. "The heat in there, especially after Gradak killed the power to the thermal shields, brought back the memories."

Torian nodded, understanding the situation now. "One more question."

"Go ahead." They could see the base up ahead and quickened their steps.

"Who's Tremaine?"

"My father."

* * *

"Who's this little guy?" Mako asked as Ismanae, Torian, and Blizz trooped onto the ship.

As they put their weapons away, Ismanae made the introductions. "Blizz, these two are the rest of our crew: Mako and Gault. Our new friend is Blizz. He was the prisoner we interrogated to get information about Vause."

_"Blizz like new friend's ship! Much better than Slam's old one"_ The Jawa looked around eagerly.

As expected, the slicer melted. "Aww, he's precious. Is he coming with us?"

"Yep." Ismanae pulled her helmet off and her braid spilled down her back. "This little guy helped us take out Vause. Freeing him was the least we could do."

Torian finished removing his armor and rubbed his arms briskly. "I'm going to put something warmer on."

"There's hot caf in the galley," Mako called after him. He waved one hand to show he'd heard her. She turned back to Ismanae. "You all right?"

The other woman nodded, removing her own plating. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"It looks like your eyes are irritated, like you got something in them." She reached up to lightly touch Ismanae's cheek.

She batted Mako's hand away and turned to go to her quarters. "Nothing to worry about. Just damn cold on that planet."

"Ismanae." Though she spoke quietly, her friend stopped, one hand resting on the doorjamb to her quarters.

After a long moment, Ismanae sighed deeply. "I had a panic attack and pulled my helmet off. Some of the snow got in my eyes before I could get it back on."

Mako frowned, surprised. The only thing she could think of that would make Ismanae panic related to how the taller woman got her scars. "What did you get into that could cause a panic attack? Hoth is an ice planet."

"Still has a volcano." A shrug of the broad shoulders. Ismanae turned enough to look at her. "I'll tell you more later. Right now, I just want to get warm."

She nodded, sheepish. "Right, yeah. Come by the medbay and I'll give you something for your eyes, all right?"

"Thanks, Mako."

"Not at all, Ismanae."


	11. Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After foiling another attempt by Jun Seros to apprehend her, Ismanae has a talk with Torian.

Though Ismanae preferred to let her blaster do her talking for her, she could still hold her own in hand-to-hand combat. That's why Torian found her in the cargo bay, taking out her anger and frustration on a helpless punching bag. Her hair was coming loose from the elegant style she'd put it in for the party by the time she paused to catch her breath. "You want something?"

"We're well away from Nar Shaddaa," he told her, taking her words as an invitation to move closer to her. "Pretty sure we made a clean getaway."

She shook her head, brushing a loose tendril of hair back from her face. "Not clean enough. Seros will pay for killing the others."

"He will." Torian nodded his agreement as she started punching the bag again. "He seems powerful, though, even for a Jedi."

Ismanae didn't stop punching, trying to ignore all the thoughts filling her head, keeping her from sleeping. "Yeah. Friends with the Supreme Chancellor. Only way I could've been declared the Republic's Most Wanted so quickly."

"You know we're not leaving you, right?" He lightly rested his hands on her shoulders and they seemed to burn through the straps of her tank top.

She stopped and bowed her head. "I know. That's why I didn't bother offering to let you go."

"Maybe Gault would've taken it." He sounded almost hopeful.

Ismanae shook her head and turned to face him with a wry smile. "Nah. He doesn't have anywhere else to go."

"And he likes you." Torian dropped his hands to his sides, a lopsided smile on his face.

She made a face and walked over to where she'd left a bottle of water and a towel, using the latter to wipe away the sweat on her face and neck. "I gave him a chance to escape his previous life. Of course he likes me."

"More than that." He folded his arms across his chest as she drank some water. "He wants you."

Ismanae opened her mouth to object, and then stopped. _Those gems he stole from Alderaan. That antique blaster he gave me when I won the Great Hunt._ She groaned and sank onto the bench. "I'm an oblivious idiot."

"You've had other things on your mind." Torian shrugged, looking away.

She eyed him curiously. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Thought you should know." A muscle in his jaw jumped. "There's actually _two_ people on this ship who are interested."

After staring at him a few moments, heat swept into her cheeks. "You, too?"

"Yeah, me, too." He nodded, still not looking at her.

At that moment, Blizz contacted her over the PA system. _"Boss! Ship almost to destination!"_

"Thanks, Blizz." She turned to Torian. "We'll continue this discussion later." Without waiting for a response from him, she headed to her quarters to shower and change into her armor. Whatever was waiting for them, she wanted to be ready.


	12. After Belsavis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ismanae and Mako head to Hoth to rescue Torian.

"You seem a little distracted," Mako remarked as she and Ismanae trudged through the snow towards the coordinates Torian's captors had provided. "Is it Torian?"

Her friend shrugged her shoulders. "Sort of. He gave me some food for thought before we met up with Darth Tormen."

"What kind of food for thought?" Mako wondered what he could have told the bounty hunter that would still distract her after all this time.

Ismanae sighed deeply. "He told me that Gault's attracted to me."

"That's not news. He's had a thing for you since Tatooine." Mako grinned, remembering that he'd taken her advice and given Ismanae a beautiful antique blaster after winning the Great Hunt.

She could just see the other woman rolling her eyes. "I had no idea until Torian told me."

"Yeah, I figured you were oblivious." Mako smiled sympathetically, flinching at a gust of wind. "You haven't had much experience with men being attracted to you."

Ismanae gave a decidedly unladylike snort. "Thanks for rubbing it in."

"Sorry." She didn't mean it and knew the bounty hunter would hear it in her voice. "That can't be all, though. Not for it to be bugging you this long."

Another sigh. "You're right. Torian also told me that _he's_ attracted to me. Wanted me to be aware of both him and Gault."

"Seriously?" Mako stared at her, surprised. She felt a pang at the thought. The Mandalorian was cute and she'd kind of hoped-- "I can see why you'd be distracted, even now. What are you going to do about it?"

Ismanae held up a hand and she obediently stopped. Following the bounty hunter's pointing finger, she spotted the entrance to a cave. "I think that's our destination."

"I think so, too." She checked her datapad and nodded. "Yep. That's it."

Pulling a pair of macrobinoculars out of her belt, Ismanae focused them on the cave. "Lots of heat signatures. Can't get an accurate count. Looks like they're planning to ambush us."

"What about Torian? Is he in there?" Not for the first time, Mako wished her implants included a heat vision option.

The taller woman nodded. "Yeah, he's tied to a chair and there's another signature pacing beside him. Pretty sure he's the leader."

"How do you want to play this, then?" The slicer wasn't a strategist. She didn't think in terms of tactics at all.

Ismanae considered for a few moments, and then grinned. "We haven't used that stealth generator you gave me after the Great Hunt."

"This sounds like the perfect opportunity to break it in." Mako grinned back.

The hunter hooked the generator to her belt and Mako positioned herself on Ismanae's right side, just like they'd practiced. Both women had their blasters out and ready. Resting her left hand on Ismanae's waist to keep from drifting too far away from the generator, they quietly slipped into the cave. One by one, they snuck up on each mercenary waiting to ambush them and took them out. Finally, the only one left was the man pacing beside Torian. "I don't think your girlfriend is going to show, Mando."

"She's coming." Torian sounded confident and Mako smiled to hear it.

The two women retreated to the entrance and Ismanae deactivated the generator. "Ready?"

"Ready." They boldly strode into the cave, blasters pointing at the merc.

He gestured with both hands when he spotted them. "Well, well, we were beginning to think you weren't going to show."

"He was. I wasn't," Torian interjected, smiling at the two women.

Ismanae removed her helmet and hooked it to her belt. "I'm here. What's this about?"

"Come a little closer and I'll explain it to you." He pointed a blaster at Torian's head.

While Mako remained where she was, arms folded across her chest to hide the way her heart pounded, Ismanae did as the merc suggested, taking a few steps forward. Torian struggled against his bonds, yelling, "Ambush! Run!"

"Are you sure about that?" Ismanae stopped where she was, hands on her hips, as the merc looked around in confusion. "Did you _really_ think I was going to walk into an obvious trap without thinking ahead? Your men are dead or dying. It's just you now."

He pointed his blaster at Ismanae then, scowling. "I don't need their help taking you down."

"No!" Torian managed to bowl the merc over just as he squeezed the trigger. Consequently, his shot went wide and hit Mako instead.

She screamed with pain when the bolt caught the leather on fire. _He must have one of those modified blasters that sets crap on fire!_ As she crumpled to her knees, trying to think through the pain-- _I know there's something I'm supposed to do when I'm on fire, but it_ hurts _!_ \--she saw Ismanae point her blaster and fire at the merc. By the time she finished, he was dead. The last thing she saw before she passed out was Ismanae's worried face hovering over hers. "Hold on, Mako. Hold on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find it annoying that you HAVE to walk into the ambush. So, I decided to mix it up a little.


	13. Voss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako and Ismanae have a Talk.

"Hey, Mako, how's your arm?" Ismanae asked when she and Torian returned to Voss-Ka.

She grimaced and looked down at her left arm where it rested in a sling. "It's still weak, but it's coming along."

"Do you need more time in a kolto tank?" Her friend looked concerned as she tossed her helmet onto the bed she'd claimed when they'd reserved the rooms.

Mako shook her head quickly. "No, it just needs to recover on its own." She sighed deeply. "I can't believe I couldn't remember how to put the fire out."

"I've been there. Sometimes, you just can't think." Ismanae sat down beside Mako on her bed and drew her into a careful hug.

She leaned into the taller woman with a sigh. " _Please_ tell me we're about done here?"

"We're done." Ismanae nodded and squeezed her good hand gently. "I captured the general. Do you need any help packing?"

Sighing in frustration, she nodded. "Yeah. Can't do much with just one good arm."

"Torian still feels guilty about that." Getting up, the bounty hunter began moving around the room, gathering up the things the slicer had brought with her to Voss.

She shook her head in fond exasperation as Ismanae packed everything into her bag. "He had no way of knowing what would happen. He saw your life being threatened and acted on it. I don't blame him for that."

"Maybe you should tell him as much so he'll stop feeling guilty." The other woman looked around the room. "Is that everything?"

Mako nodded, getting to her feet. "Yep, that's it."

"It won't take me long to pack." Ismanae handed the bag to Mako and turned to gather up her own things.

Looping her bag over her good shoulder, she watched her friend for a few moments. "Say, um, I was wondering something."

"You haven't been this hesitant to bring something up with me since we first started working together." Ismanae didn't pause in her packing. "What's up?"

She fidgeted with her sling for a moment. "Well, when I got hurt-- it's just-- you seemed awfully upset. More than when you realized Torian was missing."

"That's not a question." Ismanae briefly glanced over her shoulder, and then back to her packing.

Mako stifled a sigh. "I just wondered if there was a reason for that."

"We've been partners for a long time now." She shrugged her shoulders, still packing. "I'd hate to have break in a new--"

She stalked over and punched Ismanae's shoulder, just below the armoring. "That's not it. Would you have reacted that way for Gault?"

"No." Sighing, she turned and sat on the bed. "Seeing you on fire like that-- it made me realize how much I care about you."

Her breath caught in her throat. She'd suspected, but hadn't expected to be _right_! "And how much _do_ you care?"

"If it's not love, it's very close to it," Ismanae told her in a quiet voice.

Before Mako could formulate a reply, someone knocked on their door. "Ismanae? Mako? You ready to go?"

"Be right there, Torian!" Mako called back as she stood up.

She turned when a large hand caught hers. "Mako?"

"I care about you, too, Ismanae," she admitted in a quiet voice. "Just-- I can't say beyond that."

"Thanks for being honest with me."

"I always have and always will be."


	14. Corellia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ismanae's contract with Darth Tormen is almost done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for the end of the Bounty Hunter storyline!

The moment they left the office, Mako grabbed Ismanae's hand and towed her towards the medcenter. Though the taller woman could have easily resisted, she followed along. "Mako?"

"Don't talk!" she snapped, disliking the hoarseness of Ismanae's voice. "Not until I've done a scan of your throat."

The hunter nodded and followed the slicer into the medcenter. One of the medics gave a wave. "Hey, Mako. Everything all right?"

"Just need to borrow a bed for a moment." She waved back and pointed to the cot, addressing her next comment to Ismanae. "Sit."

She did, amusement lurking in her blue-gray eyes. The medic approached as Mako dug her scanner out of her medkit and ran it along Ismanae's neck. "What happened?"

"Some people don't know when to stop being a smartass to a Sith lord," she explained with a pointed look at her friend.

The taller woman made a face, but kept her mouth shut as Mako read the results of the scan. The medic looked surprised. "Why would you even dare to talk back anyway? They can kill you with just a thought."

"Because that's who Ismanae is." Sighing, she pulled out a jar of kolto gel and began to carefully spread it on her friend's neck. "She can't help being snarky."

The hunter raised her eyebrows at the slicer, clearly asking if she could speak. Mako nodded. "He said he wanted to take care of the animals on Corellia. How else was I going to react?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe just ask what he had in mind instead of annoying him to the point that he choked you." She put the lid back on the jar of kolto and put it back in her kit.

Ismanae folded her arms across her chest, setting her chin. "I'm a _bounty_ hunter. My targets are people, not animals."

"And Selonians _are_ people, just like Wookiees and Cathar." Mako nodded to the other medic as Ismanae stood up.

Looking amused, the medic retreated and they left the medcenter. "He clearly doesn't think so."

"I know." She sighed and looked up as they exited the base. "It's getting late. Why don't we go back to the ship and get some rest? Then we can come back and take care of the Selonians when we're well-rested."

Ismanae folded her arms across her chest, arching an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"What's what?" Mako refused to meet her friend's gaze, turning her attention to the streets around them to look for potential danger.

The other woman sounded amused and curious. "You have another reason for going back to the ship besides sleeping in our bunks. What is it?"

"Fine, I want to inject you with kolto to help your throat." She gave a huff of exasperation. "The tissues show some damage and I want to heal it before it gets worse."

Ismanae groaned. "I don't like how loopy it makes me."

"I know, but I doubt you want to go in a tank for just your throat." She clenched her hands into fists at her side. The hunter always fought her on kolto injections.

The other woman sounded puzzled. "We don't have a kolto tank."

"Exactly. We'd have to go back to the medcenter to use one." Mako shot her a glare, wishing that she wouldn't fight it, just this once. "Which they might not agree to anyway, since your only injury is to your throat and a simple injection can take care of it."

Sighing in exasperation, Ismanae nodded. "Fine, give me the injection when we get back."

"Thank you."

* * *

"You sure you want to go through with this?" Mako asked as Ismanae steered their 'borrowed' shuttle towards the Supreme Chancellor's flagship.

Ismanae, her voice back to normal, didn't take her eyes away from what she was doing. "This is my best chance of getting my name off the Republic's Most Wanted list. I didn't hear any other bright ideas."

"Sorry, I just-- he's the highest-profile target we've gone after." Mako rubbed her fingers across her forehead.

Her friend took her hand off the console long enough to catch hers and give it a squeeze. "I understand and I honestly would rather not go after him if I can help it."

"You have a plan in mind, don't you?" She could see something in her friend's expression.

Ismanae nodded briefly. "Yeah. I hope Janarus is willing to talk things out."

"He's a politician, that's what they do best." Mako shrugged, smiling when the hunter laughed softly at that.

Still smiling, she nodded, "That's a good point."

"So, you're hoping he'll make a deal?" That was the only option that made sense to her.

Another nod. "Yes. It's pretty clear that Seros had a lot of influence with the Supreme Chancellor and that's why he was able to get my name on the Republic's Most Wanted list so quickly. I hope that Janarus will listen to reason and figure out a way to resolve things in a way that'll benefit all of us."

"You realize this'll mean going up against Tormen, yeah?" As much as she admired her friend's audacity, she had to point out the biggest issue with the plan.

Ismanae sighed deeply and nodded yet again. "Yes, I thought of that and, honestly, I'd rather kill Tormen than Janarus. I've hated playing his little errand girl."

"No one else was willing to work with us or give us a chance," Mako muttered, double-checking that she had all of her gear with her.

She felt the shuttle land and looked up at the feel of a large hand covering hers. "No matter what happens, Mako, know that I love you."

"Love?" she repeated, stunned, automatically standing up when Ismanae did.

The hunter offered a crooked smile. "Yeah, definitely love. I don't expect you to return my feelings, but I wanted you to know."

"I'm not sure if my feelings are love," she admitted with a shy smile, finding Ismanae's other hand with hers. "But I definitely care a great deal about you and I don't know what I'll do if you get yourself killed."

"Then I'll do my best to avoid getting killed." Grinning, she leaned in and kissed Mako's cheek.

Grinning back, she stretched up on tiptoe to lightly brush her lips across Ismanae's. "Consider that incentive for coming out of this alive."

"Best kind of incentive there is."

"I know."


	15. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako has a nightmare and Ismanae wakes her up from it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There's references to past transphobia and assault in this chapter.

"Wake up, Mako. It's just a dream." She gently combed her fingers through her lover's short dark hair, trying to soothe her even as she woke her up.

The slicer woke with a gasp, staring up at her with wide eyes. "Ismanae?"

"I'm here." Smiling faintly, she wrapped her arms around Mako when the smaller woman clung to her. "Nothing's happened to either of us. We're both safe."

It took several minutes for Mako to stop shaking, all the while, she rubbed her back soothingly and whispered nonsense in her ear. Finally, she gave a deep sigh and whispered, "Thanks."

"Always." She kissed the slicer's forehead softly. "Wanna talk about it?"

Mako shook her head. "Not really. Just the usual nightmares."

"I'm here if you change your mind." Smiling, she gently swayed back and forth.

Her lover nestled even closer. "It goes both ways, you know. I'll listen if you wanna talk about _your_ nightmares."

"Pretty standard fare." She shrugged, careful not to dislodge Mako with the motion. "I mostly dream about the fire that gave me my scars."

The cyborg nodded, absently tracing the tattoo on her arm. "I figured, but Torian said you mentioned a Tremaine when you had your flashback on Hoth."

"Yeah, I did." She couldn't help it: she stiffened then, her hand stilling on Mako's back.

The smaller woman sat back, her expression wary. "Ismanae?"

"Sorry." She let out a deep breath, consciously relaxing as she did so. "Did Torian tell you _who_ Tremaine is?"

Mako shook her head. "No. He said it was for you to tell me."

"Tremaine is my father." She kept her voice low, not quite stifling a shiver. "He set the fire that almost killed me."

After a silence that seemed to last forever, Mako asked, "Why?"

"Because I'm trans." She shrugged, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "When I insisted on presenting as a girl instead of a boy, he decided he was better off with a dead son instead of a living daughter. Mom wasn't supposed to know, but she figured it out somehow and got me out of there."

Looking angry, her lover demanded, "Did she divorce him?"

"Of course. She divorced him while he was tried for attempted filicide." She shrugged, smiling when Mako nestled close to her once more. "He's in jail and won't get out any time soon. I hated myself for a long time after that, between my scars and the slag he spewed at me for presenting as a girl."

"That's when Coralie sent you to a shrink." Mako nodded, sounding pleased.

She pressed a kiss to the top of her lover's head. "Yes, that's when she sent to me a shrink. You know the rest. I'll warn you now, I'll probably dream about it now that I've talked about it."

"I'll be here for you."

"I love you, Mako."

"Love you, too, Ismanae."


	16. Shadows of Revan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ismanae takes time to brood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for the Bounty Hunter quest on Rishi.

Ismanae didn't say anything when Mako joined her on the inn's roof. She wrapped an arm around Mako's waist and Mako gladly leaned into her, but neither of them said anything for a long time. When her lover let out a deep sigh, Mako asked quietly, "You all right?"

"I haven't gone after a proper bounty since I ended up on the Republic's Most Wanted list," Ismanae answered quietly. "After that, I worked for Darth Tormen, then Makeb, and now this. No wonder everyone thinks I've gone Imperial."

She nodded, resting one hand over Ismanae's at her waist. "Yeah, but it's kind of hard to top those two Blacklist bounties."

"We'll have to find something for me to go after once this trouble with Revan is settled." Glancing up at Ismanae, Mako could see that her lover's jaw was set.

She nodded and rested her head on Ismanae's shoulder. "Sounds good to me. Helping Thera was a start on that."

"If nothing else, it should show that I haven't gone _soft_." Ismanae growled the last word.

Mako slipped her arm around Ismanae's waist, squeezing reassuringly. "Those boneheads don't have any idea what they're talking about. You won the Great Hunt, that should be proof enough."

"That was a few years ago." She shook her head. "I haven't taken down any challenging bounties since then. Have to constantly prove that my edge is still there."

Biting her lip, Mako nodded. Part of her wondered if it'd be any different if Ismanae had remained male. _Would they have more respect for her if they knew her as Jermaine?_

"People like the Kanawyn Syndicate only respect strength, regardless of whether someone is male or female." Ismanae seemed to have read Mako's mind. "I'd've still had to prove that I'm still strong, even if I'd never transitioned."

She stretched up to kiss Ismanae's cheek. "I like you just the way you are."

"Thanks, Mako. I know that, but it's nice to hear it."

"I know, that's why I said it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for now. We'll see what the new expansion has in store for us.

**Author's Note:**

> If you're curious about Ismanae's tattoos, [here](https://40.media.tumblr.com/3c99a44094d4d8c038972fc58a51a13e/tumblr_inline_np5axp32LD1rujpgk_540.png) is a picture of her from the log-in screen. The other tattoos don't exist in-game, but they're there.


End file.
